


Star Falls: Explosive Conflict

by TheHylianBatman



Series: Star Falls [4]
Category: Gravity Falls, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Drama, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-04-24 01:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4900672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHylianBatman/pseuds/TheHylianBatman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mabel Pines and the Nogero Rebellion have moved into Ocular space, attempting to take a stand against Cipher.</p><p>Cipher continues his march through the Outer Rim, beginning to move closer and closer to the core.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the official Tumblr: http://officialstarfallsau.tumblr.com/

 

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

 

** **

 

**PART IV: FALSE HOPE**

 

Terror and chaos abound. The ever-expanding Ocular Empire has conquered most of the southern Outer Rim. The Confederacy and the Republic continue their petty war, all the while trying and failing to deal with the Empire.

 

Darth Cipher himself has held conference with the leaders of both sides, to no avail. The Jedi are trying to take action, but Chancellor Palpatine will not allow it.

 

On the idyllic planet Naboo, the fake peace Cipher offers is about to be disrupted...

 

* * *

 

A person clad in black attached a strange-looking packet to the wall.

 

In a voice muffled by the cloth wrapped all around her head, the leader said, "Charge set. Fall back to a safe distance."

 

The other three people in her group, one small and lanky, one big and round, and the last tall and lithe, nodded before they backed up. The leader joined them, and they all fell back out of the alley to the rounded corner of the building.

 

"Blow on three. One... two... three!"

 

The big person pulled out a small cylinder with a big red button on top, twisted the bottom to deactivate the safety, and slammed her hand on the button. With a flash and a massive sound, the packet exploded, taking out a huge portion of the wall.

 

"Retreat! Back to base!"

 

The leader pulled out a gun with a hook-shaped protrusion, aimed it up, and fired. The hook clattered on the roof of the building they had just attacked, and she pressed a button on the back, retracting the rope. The hook caught, and she pressed another button right next to it, letting rope out, which she then left hanging as she holstered it and began climbing. Her team followed.

 

They suddenly turned to look behind and to the left, where they saw authority vehicles. They began sprinting along the roof, jumping onto another one when it ran out.

 

They repeated this for a few more buildings before they reached the end. The leader looked back to notice that their pursuers, though now with more space between them, were still on the chase.

 

"Team, break up! Rendezvous at base!" She ordered before jumping off the roof.

 

"Wait!" The big one called, reaching out her hand to grab, but the leader was already gone. Her head followed the leader to the ground, where she rolled gracefully, stood up, and resumed her sprinting without a breath.

 

The others all looked at each other, before the big one and the small one turned and ran in one direction, while the tall one turned in another direction.

 

The leader, meanwhile, was running through empty streets, as all the people had returned to their homes. She passed a holo-screen, bearing her blurry visage, not stopping to look.

 

She turned into an alley and pulled her backpack off her back. Then, reaching up and undoing the scarf, Mabel raked a hand through her hair, fluffing it back out, before pulling off her black jacket, folding it up and putting it in her bag. With a smug smile, knowing she wouldn't be caught, Mabel returned the bag to her back before strolling out on the street.

 

* * *

 

  
Darth Cipher was standing on the bridge of the  _Vengeance_ , his arms crossed behind his back, awaiting their entry into Thyferra's atmosphere, when a uniformed clone came up beside him.

 

"Sir, there has been an attack on Naboo."

 

"How bad?"

 

"They attacked the Hall, sir. Blew out an entire wall. Fifteen casualties."

 

Cipher's face furrowed.

 

"Hmm. Catch them."

 

"We've tried, sir, but-"

 

"Lieutenant, I will not accept excuses, I will accept results. Tell the local forces to get me those terrorists."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

With that, the clone walked away.

 

* * *

 

  
Mabel walked into the "base" of the Mystery Fleet, which was really just their biggest ship: the  _Axolotl_.

 

As soon as she stepped into the hanger, she was engulfed in a hug, which she quickly realized was one Pacifica Northwest. Mabel reciprocated the hug.

 

"I missed you," Pacifica said, nuzzling her face into Mabel's shoulder.

 

"I missed you, too, Paz," Mabel returned, leaning her head onto her girlfriend's. Mabel rubbed Pacifica's back. They embraced for a while, and the rest of the people in the hanger gathered around them, including Wendy and Ford.

 

Wendy cleared her throat, and they broke off the hug. Mabel walked to Wendy.

 

"Mabel Pines, returning from covert operation, and ready to debrief, ma'am," she said, mock saluting. Wendy smirked, turned, and walked away.

 

"Come on. We're gonna talk."

 

Mabel followed her to the turbolift.

 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Star Falls: Explosive Conflict, Chapter 1  
> Work Code: THB0020.1  
> Primary Author: TheHylianBatman  
> Additional Author(s): N/A  
> Proofreader: TheHylianBatman  
> Written on: Tuesday, September 29th, 2015  
> Updated: N/A  
> Version: 1.0
> 
> Logo image by http://tenmileswide.deviantart.com/


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the official Tumblr: http://officialstarfallsau.tumblr.com/

 

"What do you mean?! You can't just-"

 

"Unfortunately, Mabel, I can, and I have. What happened today has proved that you're just not quite ready yet. You left your team, you were spotted numerous times, and, worst of all, Tad is still missing!"

 

"I told him to come back to base! If he got caught, that's his fault, not mine!"

 

  
"Unfortunately, Mabel, because you're the leader,  _all_ the mistakes are your fault. What if he gets caught? He'll be interrogated, and, though Tad is a tough nut to crack, he's still a being. All beings can be broken. When he is, that's the end of us!" Wendy nigh-shouted, raising her hands in the air, before bringing them back down on the desk calmly. Mabel looked sheepishly at the corner. Ford stood behind and to the right of Wendy, his arms crossed, leaning back into the corner. His hair had begun to gray at the temples from all the stress.

 

Wendy re-took her seat.

 

"You're not going to lead a team again for a while. I just can't have you on that."

 

Mabel wanted to respond, but had no words. Wendy waited for a retort, and so the room was silent for a few moments.

 

"...well?" Wendy asked impatiently.

 

"You make good points. I... don't know what to say."

 

"Then I suggest we end this debate, and return to our duties."

 

"Yes, ma'am."

 

"Mabel, we had this talk. My name is Wendy."

 

"Yes, Wendy," Mabel corrected, standing from her chair.

 

"Mabel..." Wendy started, standing, but Mabel had already left.

 

Moments later, she opened the door to the quarters she and Pacifica shared, and plunked down on the bed. She then fell backward, letting her head hit wherever on the bed it fell.

 

Pacifica emerged from the bathroom, one towel wrapped around her head, the other in her hand, being rubbed all over her body. Mabel looked up at the door sound, and smirked when she saw her girlfriend.

 

"Hi," she said, and Pacifica nearly jumped out of her skin. Upon realizing it was her girlfriend, she threw her towel at Mabel, who caught it with ease.

 

"Jerk! Why didn't you tell me you were back?!" Pacifica whined in frustration.

 

"Hey, I didn't even know you were here," Mabel quipped, tossing the towel back to Pacifica, who also caught it with ease.

 

"Goodness, Mabes, just... stay there! I'm gonna get dressed," Pacifica said as she turned and went back into the bathroom.

 

"There's no need for that!" Mabel shouted into the bathroom, not moving from her bed.

 

"Yes, there is!" Pacifica shouted from the bathroom, and Mabel smiled a huge grin. She really did love Pacifica.

 

Without warning, the door chime went off. Mabel turned to tell Pacifica to close the bathroom door, but realized she already had. At tha point, she stood and walked to the door, opening it with the push of a button. On the other side stood Ford. Mabel sighed.

 

"What?"

 

Ford frowned.

 

"C'mon, kid, is that how you greet your Uncle Ford?"

 

"Oh, sorry," Mabel turned around momentarily, before turning back with a sarcastically happy expression upon her face, "Hi, there, Uncle Ford! What can I do for ya?"

 

Ford adopted a deadpan expression.

 

"Not funny, kid. Can I come in?"

 

"Uh, sure. Pacifica!" Mabel shouted to the bathroom, "Uncle Ford is here! Don't come out unless you're dressed!"

 

"Got it!" Came the muffled reply. Mabel pulled the chair out from under the desk, setting it opposite the bed on the left, which she sat on. Ford took the chair.

 

"Seriously, what do you need?"

 

"Kid, uh... look, I've been thinking, and, uh, I don't think I can do this any more," Ford said, rubbing the back of his head.

 

"Why?" Mabel asked.

 

"Well, first off, have you not seen my hair? How am I supposed to get the ladies with salt and pepper?" He asked sarcastically, gesturing to his temples. Mabel rolled her eyes.

 

"Seriously, though, kid, I can't take the secrecy and the whole... not moving thing. I miss the stars! Ya know?" Ford asked, gesturing.

 

"...sure." Mabel said awkwardly. Ford sighed.

 

"I knew you wouldn't understand. Anyways, I just thought-"

 

"Wait a minute, I understand just fine, I just don't understand why you're telling me this now. You should've said something long ago."

 

"Because you're happy here, kid," Ford said, leaning forward and grabbing Mabel's hands, "You got Pacifica, and she's all you need. But I need the freedom of the stars. I need to go. I thought I'd tell you because you should know, and you should... have the choice whether you wanna stay or go."

 

"Wait, what?" Mabel asked incredulously, "Are you seriously gonna make me choose between you or the fleet?"

 

"I knew this was a stupid idea," Ford said regrettably as he got up.

 

"Wait, Uncle Ford," Mabel said, reaching out to him. He stopped.

 

"I can't go with you, but I can't let you go." Ford sighed in exasperation.

 

"What does that even mean?"

 

"It means... you should stay."

 

Ford stared off, contemplating.

 

"...I don't know, kid. I need time to think."

 

Mabel nodded once.

 

"That's understandable."

 

"I'll get back to you when my thinking gives me somethin' substantial."

 

"Alright," Mabel replied as her uncle left the room. After the door closed, she fell back on the bed, ready for sleep. The bathroom door hissed open, and Pacifica emerged.

 

"Did I miss something?" She asked. Mabel smiled.

 

"No. Nothing at all."

 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Star Falls: Explosive Conflict, Chapter 2  
> Work Code: THB0020.2  
> Primary Author: TheHylianBatman  
> Additional Author(s): N/A  
> Proofreader: TheHylianBatman  
> Written on: Thursday, October 1st, 2015  
> Updated: N/A  
> Version: 1.0


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the official Tumblr: http://officialstarfallsau.tumblr.com/

 

Mabel awoke from her impromptu nap, slowly being shaken awake. She looked at whose hands were on her shoulder, only to discover that it was Pacifica. Mabel sat up slowly, brown hair unsticking from her face.

 

She moaned as she stretched out, her arms slowly expanding out from her head.

 

"How long was I out?"

 

"About an hour."

 

Mabel's hands hit the bed as she finished stretching. She exhaled shortly, and Pacifica smiled. Mabel looked at her and smiled back. Mabel leaned forward, closing her eyes as her lips and Pacifica's connected, caught in a chaste but love-filled kiss.

 

Alas, it ended all too soon as Mabel pulled away, staring deep into Pacifica's blue eyes.

 

"What's up?" Mabel asked, inquiring why she had been awoken.

 

"Wendy called a general meeting. She specifically came by and asked for us."

 

Mabel sighed.

 

"Of course she did. Come on, let's go," she said, gesturing and standing.

 

"Alright, then," Pacifica said, and then, without further comment, they exited the cabin.

 

* * *

 

Wendy paced at the front of the mess hall.

 

"Alright, ladies and gentleman, I won't sugar-coat it. Due to an... accident by one of our crew, we can stay on Naboo no longer."

 

Mabel could just feel the stares she was getting, and shrunk down in her chair awkwardly.

 

"We depart tomorrow at 0800 hours. I expect all of you to be ready. Dismissed."

 

Everyone got up except for Mabel and Pacifica; the former remaining shrunk in her chair, the latter glimpsing beside her at Mabel before choosing to not leave. Wendy slowly walked over, towering over Mabel.

 

"I'm sorry," She said, simply, and then left.

 

Mabel lashed out and gripped Pacifica as if it were the last time she ever could, pulling her in tight for a hug, which Pacifica quickly reciprocated.

 

Mabel sobbed quietly into Pacifica's shoulder, all the while embracing her.

 

* * *

 

  
Mabel walked toward the  _Glass Shard_ , intent on helping her uncle with whatever he may need.

 

She walked up the gangplank, peeking her head in, only to see Soos and Ford seated in the bridge, running checks.

 

It was almost like Uncle Lee had been reincarnated in Soos. Mabel smiled sadly for a moment, remembering her other uncle, before she headed up to the bridge.

 

"Do you guys need any help here?" She asked sweetly. Soos jumped, and Ford turned around, a shocked expression on his face. Upon seeing it was Mabel, it hardened into one of annoyance.

 

"Geez, have people forgotten how to knock these days?"

 

Mabel put her left hand on her hip, adopting a sassy look.

 

  
"This is my ship, I don't  _need_  to knock."

 

Ford smiled slightly.

 

"I suppose you have a point, kid. And, uh, thanks but no thanks. We're all good here," He answered, waving his hand at her. She shrugged.

 

  
"Alright, then. Guess I'll go back to the flagship, and just stay there for- _ever_." Mabel put specific emphasis on the last part as she turned and started to leave.

 

Ford turned.

 

"Uh, actually, sweetie, I think I need someone to check out the, uh, the cargo bay! Yeah, I haven't been up there in a while. It'd be good to know what we have."

 

Mabel smiled and turned around.

 

"You got it, Uncle Ford."

 

* * *

 

An indescribably long time after, Mabel was stretched in her bunk, tired out from the day.

 

She heard a knock from the airlock, and brought her head up to see Pacifica, standing there, peeking in.

 

"Hi," said Mabel.

 

"Hello," replied Pacifica.

 

"Hey, Princess," Ford said, "While you're here, get her," he thumbed at Mabel, "Out of here. I need the space.

 

"Alright, I'll do that," Pacifica grabbed Mabel's arm and mocked trying to pull her off the bed. Mabel mocked trying to resist, pulling back and whining like a small child.

 

  
"Noo!  _Nooooooooo_! I don't wanna!" She cried, pulling back and rolling away from the interior of the ship. Pacifica shrugged.

 

"Well, you heard her, Mr. Pines. She doesn't wanna go, so I guess you're stuck with her. Bye!" Pacifica waved, and then left. Ford stood there, a flabbergasted look on his face. Mabel snickered.

 

"Listen here, kid," he started, pulling her off the bunk, "you're goin', whether you like it or not!"

 

He pulled her off and carried her to the door, a shrieking and laughing mess in his arms the whole time. He sat her down just outside the airlock, where Pacifica waited at the bottom of the gangplank. Mabel stood and brushed herself off.

 

"Well, guess I got no choice. I'll just go with you," she said in a mocking voice.

 

"Oh, no, whatever shall I do?!" Pacifica said in a sarcastic tone, raising her hands to her cheeks. They both laughed, and then Mabel walked down the gangplank. Pacifica offered her arm.

 

"Your dashing escort is here, milady."

 

"Thank you," Mabel said in a mock fancy tone. Both the girls giggled as they headed back for the  _Axolotl_ .

 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Star Falls: Explosive Conflict, Chapter 3  
> Work Code: THB0020.3  
> Primary Author: TheHylianBatman  
> Additional Author(s): N/A  
> Proofreader: TheHylianBatman  
> Written on: Saturday, October 3rd, 2015  
> Updated: N/A  
> Version: 1.0


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the official Tumblr: http://officialstarfallsau.tumblr.com/

 

A ship zoomed over Theed, slowing as it came over a docking pit. It slowly rotated around, and lowered into the bay, hydraulics hissing. Landing legs emerged from underneath as it landed, and a ramp around the back opened.

 

A man clad in a brown leather jacket, with a black shawl around his head and a very big gun on his back, descended down the ramp. He walked right past the bay worker, who was holding a datapad, entering his information, and exited.

 

A time later, he was on a speeder bike, riding out of Theed and into what was supposed to be the wilderness.

 

* * *

 

  
Wendy was standing on the bridge of the  _Axolotl_ , overseeing the evacuation efforts, when a man ran in.

 

"Wendy," he said between pants, "There's a... a man here to... see you."

 

"What does he want?" She asked.

 

"He... he didn't say. He just said... he wants to see you."

 

Wendy looked grimly over the bridge before she went with the man.

 

She walked down the ramp, seeing the man described earlier standing about 20 feet from it's end.

 

She strode straight up to him and crossed her arms.

 

"What do you want?"

 

"My name is Rusev Balnar, and I am here for Fordarian Pines," the man said in a muffled, accented voice.

 

Wendy's eyebrows raised.

 

"He's not here."

 

"Don't play games with me, rebel. He was last seen with this fleet, and there is no way he has left. Take me to him. Now." He demanded.

 

Wendy's face did not falter as she studied and pondered this new foe.

 

  
"This way," she said, as she gestured her head toward the  _Glass Shard_. They turned and walked.

 

* * *

 

"Soos, hand me the, uh, hydro-spanner."

 

"Right here, Mr. Pines," Soos said, putting the tool in the man's hand.

 

Suddenly, the door to the engine room opened, and in stepped Wendy.

 

"Ford, we got a problem."

 

Ford poked his head out of the cubbey, and looked at Wendy before taking the goggles on his face off. The area around his eyes was clean, but the rest of his face was covered in grime and soot.

 

"What is it?"

 

"There's a man here we've never seen before asking for you. I think he's a bounty hunter."

 

Ford frowned in anger.

 

"Gideon," he growled.

 

He pulled himself out of the cubbey, and stood, wiping himself off.

 

"I'll deal with this," he said, taking off his massive repair coat, grabbing his weapon belt from the hook beside the door, and leaving, Wendy in his footsteps.

 

He walked down the ramp, slowly, warily, so as to stay aware of his opponent.

 

"Can I help you?" He asked bluntly.

 

"Fordarian Pines, I am here to take you to Gideon. Dead or Alive. How will you come?"

 

"I don't want to come. I thought I did, but... this fleet, these people," he said, gesturing around him, "they're my family, and this is my home. I will not come, friend, so do what you will,"

 

"Fine, then," the man said, before whipping his blaster around. Ford leaped out of the way, the blaster bolt missing him. He landed on the ground with a roll, pulling his blaster and firing at the bounty hunter, who also dodged.

 

  
Aboard the  _Axolotl_ , Mabel sat up, hearing blaster bolts from outside. She grabbed her belt from the hook above her bed, and ran out the door, Pacifica turning from the desk, asking "Mabel?" as she went.

 

  
Moments later, Mabel was running down the ramp, looking around for the blaster fire, until her eyes caught on the  _Glass Shard_.

 

"Oh, no," She whispered as she ran for the ancient freighter.

 

  
At the  _Shard_ , Ford was pinned down behind one of the landing legs, blaster fire whizzing by him. He had his blaster in both hands, and glanced. There was no way out.

 

Suddenly, he heard a hissing sound, and heard a hissing sound and a scream of pain. He turned, to see Mabel, her lightsaber ignited, and the bounty hunter missing his hands.

 

"Uncle Ford? You alright?" She asked, holding the bounty hunter on his knees by his neck.

 

"Yeah. Yeah, kid, I'm fine," he said, stepping out from behind his cover. Her eyes quickly went to the hole in his shoulder.

 

"No, you're not. You're hit. C'mon, let me see it."

 

Ford sighed before removing his jacket and pulling down the strap of his shirt, exposing the wound. Mabel examined it, deciding all it needed was a bandage. She asked Wendy to get it, and then turned back to Ford.

 

"Who was that?"

 

"I don't know, kid, but he probably came because of Gideon's bounty. We need to do somethin' about that sadistic kid."

 

Wendy returned, and Mabel started to wind the bandage around the wound.

 

  
"What  _can_ we do?"

 

"Leave," Wendy interjected, "We're almost ready. We could leave in an hour if you guys were to speed up."

 

Mabel nodded grimly.

 

"I'll help in any way I can."

 

"Thanks, kid," Ford said, before going back inside. Mabel shook her head.

 

"I have a bad feeling about this," she said, before going inside.

 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Star Falls: Explosive Conflict, Chapter 4  
> Work Code: THB0020.4  
> Primary Author: TheHylianBatman  
> Additional Author(s): N/A  
> Proofreader: TheHylianBatman  
> Written on: Monday, October 5th, 2015  
> Updated: N/A  
> Version: 1.0


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the official Tumblr: http://officialstarfallsau.tumblr.com/

 

 

"WHAAAAAT?!"

 

"Boss," said the bounty hunter, cowering in fear, "it's not like Rusev knew there would be a Jedi there-"

 

"THERE IS NO JEDI TRAVELLIN' WITH FORDARIAN! HE'S A SMUGGLER, FA GOODNESS' SAKE! HOW COULD HE TRAVEL WITH A JEDI?!" Gideon Mamba screamed, slithering off his pedestal and right up to the bounty hunger, getting in his face.

 

"Boss, I'm sorry-"

 

  
"AH DON'T CARE! AH STILL DON'T HAVE PINES HERE! AH WANT HIM  _HERE_  AND AH WANT HIM  ** _DEAD_ ** !"

 

The bounty hunter was quivering, "But... but, boss-"

 

Gideon shoved the bounty hunter and slithered out of the chamber, a "Useless!" and "Pathetic!" slipping from his mouth. He slithered down the hall, arriving at the hanger bay at the edge of his palace, and stood on the gantry, overlooking all the ships and their crews.

 

"BOYS!" He shouted, getting their attention. All of them looked up; some of the farther ones moved closer.

 

  
"FORDARIAN PINES IS STILL NOT DEAD! AH AM TIRED OF THIS PROBLEM NOT GETTIN' SOLVED! AH WANT Y'ALL TO GO TO NABOO AND END HIM  _AND_ HIS FRIENDS!"

 

Every bounty hunter cheered as Gideon turned and slithered back into his chamber. He slithered back onto his throne, but not before gesturing to the droid on his left and ordering, "Kill him," to which the droid grabbed the bounty hunter and dragged him out.

 

* * *

 

"Alright, kid, let's see if she'll still fly," Ford said to Mabel, activating the engines. The _Glass Shard_ slowly lifted off the ground, an alarm going off, alerting Ford to the fact the airlock was still open and the gangplank was still out, but he ignored it. A massive smile came across Ford's, Mabel's, and Soos' faces as she hovered in the air, no problems appearing. Mabel tapped Ford on the shoulder.

 

"Alright, alright, kid, get back to your girlfriend."

 

  
Mabel nodded, and said "Safe flying, Uncle Ford," before turning and exiting the bridge. She walked to the airlock and descended down the gangplank, jumping the few feet to the ground, where Pacifica an d Wendy were waiting. Upon landing, she immediately wrapped Pacifica in a hug, both of them smiling and laughing in happiness. Wendy looked on, arms crossed and a smirk on her face. Mabel broke the hug and turned to Wendy.

 

"What now?"

 

"Now, the rest of us fly."

 

* * *

 

  
Mabel and Pacifica stood on the bridge, watching Wendy conduct the fleet's take-off and escape into space. She had just checked that all of the other ships were ready to take off, and, before that, she had made sure that the  _Axolotl_  was in ship-shape. Now, the ships were all taking off, Pacifica watching in awe. Mabel loved how even the simplest thing could amaze her if she had never seen it before.

 

The ship moved slowly under their feet, rising at a snail's pace through the atmosphere. Eventually, the ship was in orbit, and Mabel and Pacifica were in the fighter bay, which had it's massive ramp open, so they could gaze on the planet below. They were sitting, legs crossed, just inside the protective shield that separated them from the neverending void of outer space.

 

"Have you ever thought about it?" Pacifica asked.

 

"Thought about what?" Mabel asked back.

 

"How cold it must be out there. How much room there is. How much you could do."

 

Mabel raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at Pacifica.

 

"What are you suggesting?"

 

Pacifica looked at Mabel, with a mock look of shock on her face.

 

"Why, Mabel, what do you think I'm suggesting?!" She then tapped her lightly on the shoulder with an open hand, "How dare you insinuate I would suggest that? Your mind is a filthy, disgusting place, and you need to clean it right away!"

 

They both laughed as Pacifica lightly shoved Mabel, who quickly straightened and continued looking out.

 

"Would that even be possible?" she asked. Pacifica just looked at her, a look of glee and shock on her face.

 

"I mean, people explode when they go out there, and you can't be wearing spacesuits-"

 

"I'm out!" Pacifica said as she rose, turning and preparing to leave the bay.

 

"Wait, don't go!" Mabel said, turning around and collapsing as she reached for her girlfriend. Pacifica stumbled over Mabel's hands, and she stopped just short of her reach, turned around, facing her, her hands on her hips.

 

"I love you."

 

Pacifica smiled as she moved toward her, and grabbed her hand, pulling up Mabel.

 

"Love you too, ya dork," she said as she pulled. With Mabel standing beside her, she turned and left, Mabel following.

 

They boarded a turbolift together and ascended for the bridge.

 

When they arrived, they strode up to Wendy, who was standing over the holographic table, and Mabel asked, "How's it goin'?"

 

"Pretty good, I think we're ready to jump to hyperspace."

 

"Alright, mind if we stay here and watch?"

 

"Not at all. Helm, prepare for the jump to hyperspace!"

 

"Yes, captain!"

 

Mabel and Pacifica watched as the ship slipped into lightspeed, entering hyperspace. Pacifica watched, once again in awe, as the blue field surrounded the ship. Mabel looked on in mild comfort, reminded of all the travelling she did with her uncles. A sad smile cracked her face as she remembered Uncle Lee, and she wished he could've been here now.

 

  
Then a string of questions crossed her mind. How could she be doing the right thing going  _away_  from Cipher? How could she get revenge if she wasn't  _near_  him?

 

Mabel was nearly quivering with rage a few moments later, until Pacifica put her hand on her shoulder and asked, "Are you alright?"

 

In that moment, Mabel's anger dissolved, because she knew she was defending her love and her life.

 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Star Falls: Explosive Conflict, Chapter 5  
> Work Code: THB0020.5  
> Primary Author: TheHylianBatman  
> Additional Author(s): N/A  
> Proofreader: TheHylianBatman  
> Written on: Wednesday, October 7th, 2015  
> Updated: N/A  
> Version: 1.0


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the official Tumblr: http://officialstarfallsau.tumblr.com/

 

 

"Helm, report!"

 

"We've come out of hyperspace over Zhar!"

 

"Very well; contact the rest of the fleet, and let them know we're going to perform a shift change and inspection here," Wendy turned and faced Mabel and Pacifica, who were sitting on chairs provided for them near the door, "As for you two, you should probably go nap. It's been a few hours. I know I am," Wendy then turned and left the bridge.

 

Mabel was exceptionally tired; she wanted nothing more than to nap. However, she couldn't contain Pacifica, who wanted to watch every step of controlling a big ship. She had been all over the bridge, wondering how every system worked and what each button did.

 

Mabel was surprised. This was so... unlike Pacifica. She normally stayed in their cabin, not socializing with anyone else. She didn't really know how. But that wasn't stopping her;  she had had a dozen conversations with the helmsman, and a few, though not nearly as many, with everyone else.

 

Mabel smiled. Despite her concern that Pacifica may get hurt, she was still happy that she was growing as a person, and breaking out of her shell without her help.

 

Mabel's smile turned into a yawn, as she raised her arms above her head, and then lowered them again, rubbing her eyes with her clenched fists. When she removed her hands and her eyes once again could see, she say nothing but smiling face and blonde hair. She jumped slightly, surprised by the sudden appearance of her giddy girlfriend.

 

"This is so awesome!" Pacifica squealed, sitting down next to Mabel and resting her head on her shoulder, "I never knew much about space, but it's so interesting! Did you know that the engines-"

 

Mabel raised a hand to stop Pacifica.

 

  
"Paz, I love you, and I'm glad you're having a good time, but I  _need_  to sleep. Can I  _please_  go back to our cabin?"

 

Pacifica's smile faded, a look of slight disappointment replacing it.

 

"Oh... Well, I mean, I don't want to keep you up. I mean-"

 

Mabel stood.

 

"Thank you, Paz. I'll see you in a few hours," Mabel said as she turned.

 

"Wait!" Pacifica yelped, reaching out a hand, "Does that mean I can stay?"

 

"Of course. I'm not your boss," Mabel grunted, as if it were self-explanatory, and then walked down the hallway, entering the turbolift and travelling down another deck to where their cabin was.

 

She walked down the hallway, reaching their cabin after a time. Pressing her hand onto the pad lazily, she fell down on her bed, not bothering to change or get under the covers. She was asleep in moments.

 

* * *

 

Mabel awoke to a rumble and a heat on her face. She used her arms to push herself up almost instantly, brushing her left hand to her cheek and finding fading embers falling from it. She looked up and noticed four things: one, the battle alarm was ringing; two, the power was out; three, Pacifica was not back yet, and four; there was a gaping, burning hole in the ceiling. Mabel was suddenly thrown from the bed as the whole ship rumbled, landing on the floor on her stomach. She shifted into a crouched position, and then stood, grabbing her belt and running out into the hallway. She looked left, and saw an empty hallway, a bright orange light flickering near the end. She looked right, and saw numerous people running toward the turbolifts. She herself joined them, getting in one of the 5 turbolifts with a green light, indicating they were still operational. As the carriage travelled the short distance to the next deck, half of the people in the elevator disembarked. Mabel guessed they were going to man the turrets around the ship's perimeter.

 

The doors closed again, and the turbolift continued rising to the next deck, where the rest of the people, including Mabel, disembarked. Mabel watched as white-garbed medics carried a stretcher into one of the two cargo turbolifts at the end, the doors closing as they set the patient down on the floor, one of the doctors coming around to work on him. Mabel gulped. Suddenly, she remembered Pacifica, and panicked. Where was she? If they were in battle, the bridge would be a hot target, and that's where she had been...

 

Mabel turned left and starting running to the bridge, pushing her way through the crowd of people, grateful for the bridge's bigger doors. She briefly wondered why so many people why trying to get there, and then dismissed the thought.

 

After brief struggling, she managed to push through, looking frantically all over the bridge for Pacifica, but she saw no sign of the blonde. Her panic escalated, and she looked for Wendy instead, who she also could not find. One of her exploratory glances stopped at the massive windows of the bridge, and she gasped in shock.

 

In the massive void of space, countless ships were doing battle. Some were burning, others were floating in space, lifeless, and some were engaged in battle, firing relentlessly upon each other. Mabel could see a few ships she recognized, but none of them struck her as particularly important.

 

She then turned around and exited the bridge, immediately turning right into the control room, where all the sectors of the ship talked to the representatives here, who then reported to whoever was on duty, who then reported to Wendy. Except... there was nobody on duty. All the reps were still at their stations, talking to their sectors, but there was nobody there to collect the messages. Mabel assumed that they were with Wendy.

 

Mabel then crossed the hall, entering the flight coordination room, where the fighters were coordinated. This room was significantly less busy, as well as less loud, but still busier than normal. The ship rocked, and the power flickered. Mabel turned and began to exit, only to run headfirst into Wendy. Wendy lightly but firmly shoved her out of the way, leaning a bit more into the room.

 

"I want that accursed dreadnought off our back! Get some fighters on it!" she barked.

 

"Yes, ma'am," one of the coordinators responded, and Wendy turned and crossed the hall. Mabel followed her.

 

"Report!" she shouted, marching to the middle of the room.

 

  
"The  _Gossiper_  is losing life support, the  _Royal Putt_  is out of control, the  _Lumberjack_  just destroyed another fighter and has taken heavy damage, and the  _Glass Shard_  is under fire. 40 causalities spread across 5 ships, the  _Gossiper_  taking the most with 22."

 

"Alright. Let me see a map of our battle movements," Wendy ordered, marching up to the chair and leaning down to see the screen in front of the operator, who pressed a few buttons and brought on a display of the deployments.

 

"Move this ship over here," Wendy said, pointing, "and get this one on our 6. See if they can't help us with that dreadnought," she said, standing and turning to exit.

 

"Wendy," Mabel said pitifully.

 

"Not now, Mabel," Wendy said, passing through the convenient door to the bridge and shouting, "Report!"

 

"Multiple hull breaches on every deck, most aft, all fighters deployed, 3 dead, 17 injured. Engine room continues to say that they're running low, and the power to C Deck has been completely shut off. Power fluctuating. Shields at 20%. Fires on C and B Decks. STS turrets 1, 7, 14, 16, 19, 21, 25, 29, and 33 non-operational, most of the others damaged. Most STF turrets are still fully operational. The Promenade is in shambles, and 3 turbolifts have been taken out. Both cargo turbolifts still intact. No boarders."

 

"Alright. Helm, turn us to open space! I want you to plot the hyperspace coordinates so we can jump ASAP!"

 

"Aye!"

 

"EC, make sure that life support stays on, and shut off the AC on C Deck!"

 

"Aye!"

 

"Ops, make sure we have enough firefighting teams to go around, and keep the marines on edge for any boarders!"

 

Wendy strode up to the holographic table in the middle of the bridge, setting both her hands on the edge and staring, desperately looking for a way out.

 

"Wendy?" Mabel said once again.

 

"What?!" Wendy snapped quickly, turning her head slightly.

 

"Do you know where Pacifica is?"

 

Wendy closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

 

"They took her to the medibay."

 

Mabel gasped, not 100% how to react to the news.

 

"A big bolt hit us. One of the firsts. Some of the ceiling fell on her. She... she looked pretty bad."

 

Mabel collapsed against the wall, shock quickly taking the words from her brain and her mouth. She stared at the floor with an open mouth.

 

"Mabel..." Wendy started, turning to face her, "You shouldn't sit here and feel numb. Go see her before it may be too late."

 

Mabel shook herself out of it, raising herself up and running down the hall, back to the turbolifts.

 

Now only 4 were operational.

 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Star Falls: Explosive Conflict, Chapter 6  
> Work Code: THB0020.6  
> Primary Author: TheHylianBatman  
> Additional Author(s): N/A  
> Proofreader: TheHylianBatman  
> Written on: Friday, October 9th - Tuesday, October 13th, 2015  
> Updated: N/A  
> Version: 1.0


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the official Tumblr: http://officialstarfallsau.tumblr.com/

 

Mabel sat in a chair beside Pacifica's bed, her left hand holding Pacifica's right, her other hand flat on her lap. She had been sitting like that for the past 10 minutes, hoping Pacifica would wake up, but she hadn't. Wendy was right; she was bad. There was a massive gash just to the left of the middle of her head, and her hair was singed all over. Her face, like just about everyone else's, was covered in soot, though it was significantly less; the medics had tried to clean her up.

 

Mabel snorted, thinking about what had been happening just a few hours ago. Her face had been so full of happiness, so full of life, and now...

 

Mabel couldn't bear the thought. It brought her close to tears.

 

A medic came up, and very politely asked Mabel to move her chair, which she did, and the medic started trying to clean Pacifica again.

 

"Why is it so important that she's clean?" Mabel asked a bit rudely; she was at the end of her wits.

 

"Well, so she doesn't contaminate the Bacta."

 

  
"Bacta?! You think she needs  _Bacta_?!" Mabel asked, shocked. If it was that bad...

 

"Ms. Pines, please calm down. Go get a drink. I promise, I will do everything I can to make her better."

 

Mabel's eyes shifted between the medic and Pacifica, a look of pain on her face, before she simply turned and wandered out of the medbay. She couldn't be there, not now. She reached the hall, and simply started walking, no destination in mind, no plan.

 

Suddenly, the ship rocked, and she was launched to the left, towards the wall, and she blacked out.

 

* * *

When Mabel woke up, she was in a different place. She knew that for sure; the air was different. She was lying on her back, her arms at her sides. The room was in a green light.

 

She sat up, and she found herself to be in a prison cell. She looked around, and saw only a toilet was in the room, other than the "bed", which was more a slab protruding from the wall. She looked down, and realized she had been stripped to her underwear.

 

  
_Just like old times_ , she thought, as she swung her legs over the side and stood up. Putting her hands on her hips, she looked for a way out, and found none. She threw her hands in a momentary shrug, before they went back to her sides.

 

"Hey, there, li'l lady," she heard from behind her, and quickly turned to look at the voice. There stood a Trandoshan; a savage, warrior-like race of lizards. This one was average height, and had stupid yellow eyes and stupid green skin.

 

She didn't think very highly of this Trandoshan.

 

"I don't ssssuppose that you want to know what you're doin' here?"

 

"Oh, believe me, I can guess, but why don't you tell me anyways?"

 

The Trandoshan laughed.

 

"I like you, girl," the way he said "girl" made it sound like he was trying to put her down with it, "You got sssspunk. You're here because we boarded your sssship, and we thought we'd take you prisoner."

 

"Have you taken it yet?"

 

"What?" The Trandoshan asked, incredulously.

 

"Have you taken the ship over yet?"

 

The Trandoshan scowled.

 

"Not yet. We're sssstill working on it."

 

Mabel smiled.

 

"You'll never take it. I know Wendy, and, believe me, she'd sooner blow it up if she thought she was gonna lose."

 

The Trandoshan let out an angry roar. Mabel smirked.

 

"Of course, I could help you guys out. Let you on the ship. They'd never suspect me. I'm one of them."

 

The Trandoshan looked at her, a look of intrigue and curiosity on his face.

 

After a moment, he spoke again.

 

"I don't believe it, kid. You sssseem... too loyal."

 

Mabel grinned a big, goofy grin.

 

"Oh, really? I could... really make it worth your while," Mabel said, looking him up and down and licking her lips. The Trandoshan's eyebrows raised, and he backed away, looking to the door and back.

 

"...w-what would you... do?"

 

  
"Oh, I could do  _lots_ of things," Mabel said, strutting towards the forcefield, "All you have to do..." she leaned herself against it, her arms above her head, "Is open the forcefield."

 

The Trandoshan's gaze traveled down, and his forked tongue flicked out of his mouth. Mabel didn't know a ton about Trandoshans, but she knew they were expert hunters. She hoped her façade was enough to fool him. The Trandoshan debilitated for a second, looking around, and then turned and closed the door to the small ante room that connected the three cells he was watching, and then deactivated the forcefield. Mabel immediately threw herself into his arms, spreading herself over him as much as he could.

 

"What do you want me to do first?" She whispered. The Trandoshan's face grew red, and he leaned down and whispered in her ear. Hearing his words, Mabel smiled and bit her lip.

 

"Oh, yeah, baby, I can do that. How about you just go and sit in the chair behind the desk?"

 

The Trandoshan nodded, and turned. As soon as his back was to her, Mabel knew it was her chance to strike. She leapt off the deck onto the Trandoshan's shoulders, catching him unawares and knocking him to the ground with an "oomf!"

 

"Where are my clothes?!" She nigh-shouted, pulling his head up.

 

"I-in the desk! In the second drawer of the dESK!" The Trandoshan yelped as Mabel slammed his head into the ground. After the first time, she did it again, and then again and again, repeatadly, until it stopped making sound. Mabel held it's head up for a second, shook it a little to see if it was still awake, and then, judging that it wasn't, stood off it's back, letting it's head fall limply to the ground. She grabbed it under the arms, and she dragged it over to her cell, tossing the limp thing into her former cell. Searching it, she found some credits, a key, and a radio. She took all three, and, activating the forcefield again, tried the key in the desk. It worked, and Mabel dressed herself. Within moments, Mabel Pines, ass-kicker and awesome person, was back, fully equipped.

 

She looked in the other two cells, and, finding them empty, pulled a holorecorder from one of the drawers and put it on the desk. Activating it, she recorded a simple message.

 

"Sorry, baby, but I'm taken. Love, Mabelline Pines."

 

After recording her message, she took the disc out, deactivated the forcefield, tossed it into the cell, activated it again, and left, closing the door behind her so he wouldn't be discovered any time soon.

 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Star Falls: Explosive Conflict, Chapter 7  
> Work Code: THB0020.7  
> Primary Author: TheHylianBatman  
> Additional Author(s): N/A  
> Proofreader: TheHylianBatman  
> Written on: Tuesday, October 13th, 2015  
> Updated: N/A  
> Version: 1.0


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the official Tumblr: http://officialstarfallsau.tumblr.com/

 

 

Mabel snuck up a hallway, looking around a corner to see if any Trandoshans were around.

 

Seeing none, she crossed the perpendicular hallway, continuing to sneak. Mabel has no idea where she was, but she wanted to get back to her ship. Suddenly, hearing voices, Mabel jumped into a room, which she quickly noticed was empty. She closed the door and prayed she wouldn't be caught. Hearing steps go past, Mabel breathed shallowly, trying and failing her best to keep calm. Fortunately, the Trandoshans did not hear her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Looking around, she quickly realized she was in the armory. A crafty smile snuck onto her face as an idea came to her.

 

Minutes later, she had sifted through all the crates, and she had discovered 2 automatic blasters, 2 semi-automatic blasters, another pistol, and, to her extreme joy, almost 30 Thermal Detonators. She knew she would only need 2 or 3, but she put all of them on her bandoleer, just to be safe.

 

Mabel stepped out into the hall, the semi-auto blasters slung over her shoulders, the automatics in her hands, and the spare pistol shoved down the front of her pants. She walked, guns straight out, confidently and strongly towards the back of the ship. She reached the end of the hall moments later, and opened the door to the massive engine room. There, a few Trandoshan engineers glimpsed at her, releasing cries of threats, before she mowed them all down with her guns. She continued firing, killing the 6 crew in the room with way more shots than necessary.

 

Once they were dead, Mabel also slung the automatic blasters over her shoulders, and set the remote detonation on the Detonators. She tossed them all over the place, making sure to get adequate coverage, before turning and leaving. An intruder alarm was going off, but Mabel didn't care. She could handle anything that came to her.

 

Turning back around, Mabel started proceeding back down the hall, many Trandoshans coming towards her. She simply kept firing, mowing them down as she came. She stepped over countless bodies in just 100 feet. Finally, the hall was clear, and Mabel's guns were smoking. She slung them back over her shoulder and continued on her trek to nowhere. Reaching a turbolift, she took it to the highest deck, where she assumed the bridge would be. She stepped out, and, stepping into the hall, found more Trandoshans. She started firing, and managed to get most of them down, but then the guns made a clicking sound. She tossed them aside as the Trandoshans rushed her, and pulled out her lightsaber, swinging it at her attackers. After killing one and injuring another, the rest backed off.

 

In a split second, she deactivated her lightsaber, pulled the semi-autos off her shoulder, and resumed firing. The rest of the Trandoshans went down, and Mabel strode down the hall, opening the door at the other end. Inside were more Trandoshans and some controls, which Mabel quickly mowed down as well. After killing or injuring all of them, Mabel tossed a few more Detonators around, and then went to one of the ones still alive.

 

"Where are the boarding umbilicals?"

 

"..."

 

Mabel slammed his head into the ground.

 

"Tell me."

 

"Third deck down. SSSStarboard sssside."

 

"Thanks," Mabel said as she pulled the spare blaster from her pants. Putting it to his forehead, she pulled the trigger, killing him, and then left the bridge, getting back in the turbolift. As it descended, Mabel thought about how impossible it was for her to take a whole ship of Trandoshans, but that thought disappeared as the doors opened and she stepped out, ready for a fight.

 

She didn't get one.

 

Mabel looked around the hall, wondering where everyone else was, but soon gave up, releasing her guns, letting them hang from her shoulder, and going to look for the airlock. Not long after, she found it, and re-boarded the Axolotl. Looking around, she saw many dead bodies littering the halls; some human, some alien, and some Trandoshan, all with blasters.

 

She felt bad momentarily, before steeling herself and heading for the turbolifts.

 

Once she reached them, she noted that only 2 were operational; one cargo, and one standard. She pressed the button for the standard one, and then stepped in, noting a nice blood splatter from about waist height all the way to the ceiling.

 

"Mabel?" She heard a small voice call out from the ceiling as the doors closed. She looked up, and saw nothing at first. After examining a bit more, she saw a small body, completely clad in black, on the ceiling.

 

"Candy?!" She asked in disbelief. Candy dropped down beside her, landing softly. The friends hugged, glad to see each other alive and well. Mabel pulled back.

 

"How's the ship?"

 

"Mostly alright. We managed to repel most of those Trandoshans, but some are still fighting up top. I was keeping the elevator safe."

 

"Good job, Candy," Mabel said, putting on her shoulder, before the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Candy jumped back up and vanished, and Mabel pulled out and ignited her lightsaber. She leaned out, and saw some Trandoshans at the bridge door, which was closed. There were charges lined up on it, and one of the lizards held a button.

 

Without much thought, Mabel tossed her lightsaber, cutting off the lizard's hand. He let out an inhuman howl, and the other one turned to her. Aiming his blaster, Mabel drew hers and shot him through the head, killing him. She turned to the other, who had stopped squealing, and aimed, waiting for him to make a move. He dared, and she shot him, too.

 

With all the Trandoshans dead, she walked forward, picking up her lightsaber as she opened the bridge door. Inside were many dead bodies, and one Wendy Corduroy, looking all the worse for rare, and a blaster in her hand.

 

"Hi," Mabel said.

 

"Hi. Where have you been?" Wendy asked, returning the blaster to it's holster.

 

"Hell. How's it going?" Mabel asked, gesturing to the window.

 

"Uhh... not sure. They killed just about everyone else."

 

"But not you," Mabel noted. Wendy smiled.

 

"Always findin' a way to be optimistic, huh?"

 

"I try," Mabel said, as they both walked up to one of the wall consoles. Mabel didn't understand it, but Wendy did.

 

"We weren't doing too well, so I ordered the rest of the fleet to Tatooine to lie low. Everyone else left because there was no more prey."

 

"I don't doubt."

 

"Hmm... we should be alright, actually. If we patch up, that is."

 

"Well, let's get started!"

 

Wendy smirked.

 

"Don't you wanna check on your girlfriend?"

 

Mabel blanched; she had completely forgotten about Pacifica.

 

Without a word, Mabel turned and ran out of the bridge, reaching the turbolift again and descending to B Deck, where the medbay was. She exited the turbolift, running down the hall to the medbay, and her waiting beau.

 

The door opened to the medbay as Mabel spun to face it, and a horrific sight awaited her; Pacifica, stripped to her undies and spread out on the bed, with a Trandoshan standing over her, slowly removing the rest. It looked at Mabel and hissed, and Mabel's rage took over. She held out her hand, applying the Force to this base creature's neck. It was lifted from the ground, reaching up to it's neck, trying to save itself. Mabel didn't care. She slung the Trandoshan into the wall as hard as she could, and it let out a yelp of pain. Mabel didn't care. She pulled it back and slammed it again, hearing a lesser yelp and a crack. Mabel didn't care. She pulled it back and slung it in again and again, until it's face was bloodied and smashed and it was definitely not moving any more. Mabel didn't care. She continued slinging it into the wall, until blood spurted out and hit her; then she snapped out of it. She dropped the limp corpse, watching it crumple inhumanly as it fell. Mabel turned and softly inserted her hand underneath her head. Her head had healed; she guessed the medic had put her in the bacta after all.

 

Mabel used the Force to pull a chair up, and she sat in it, sitting next to Pacifica. She pulled the detonator out of her pocket, looked at it a second, contemplating, and then slammed her hand down on the button. The ship rocked a bit from the force of the explosion right next to it, but Mabel knew it would be fine.

 

Everything would be fine; she was here.

 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Star Falls: Explosive Conflict, Chapter 8  
> Work Code: THB0020.8  
> Primary Author: TheHylianBatman  
> Additional Author(s): N/A  
> Proofreader: TheHylianBatman  
> Written on: Tuesday, October 13th, 2015  
> Updated: N/A  
> Version: 1.0


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the official Tumblr: http://officialstarfallsau.tumblr.com/

 

Mabel hadn't been sitting in the medbay long when an alarm started going off. She didn't pay it much attention, until Wendy's voice came on the announcement system.

 

  
"All hands, abandon ship. I repeat, all hands, immediately abandon ship. Reactor is going critical, and we have about 2 minutes. Once at a safe distance, rendezvous with the others; the  _Glass Shard_  is standing by to pick us up."

 

Once the message completed, it started looping, but Mabel didn't notice. She was too busy panicking. How could she get Pacifica to an escape pod in two minutes? She doubted she could run that fast, especially carrying another person. She couldn't put her hover-bed on the escape pod, there was no room. She then considered taking the bed down to the next deck, where the escape pods were; after brief thought, Mabel decided that was the best course of action. Mabel grabbed the bed by the sides, pulling it out gingerly but quickly from the wall; Pacifica didn't stir.

 

Moments later, Mabel was standing at the head of the bed, looking at the turbolifts in anger. The explosion must have knocked the last cargo one out, and that was the only one that could take a bed. Mabel let out a shout of anguish, not willing to leave Pacifica, but unsure if they could both get out alive. Suddenly, the last active turbolift dinged as the doors opened, and Mabel turned to look at it. There stood Candy, Grenda, and a few other nondescript people. Mabel nearly wept in joy.

 

"Mabel!" Grenda said in her manly voice as she ran towards her, Candy in her wake. They both collided with Mabel in a hug, which they shared for a moment before Mabel pushed them off, and said, "Help me with her."

 

Candy and Grenda nodded, and Grenda strong-armed Pacifica over her shoulder. The other pair looked at her momentarily in concerned awe, before Grenda returned to the elevator, Candy and Mabel right behind.

 

The doors closed, and the carriage descended a deck, opening into a charred hallway. Mabel was shocked at the battle damage.

 

"Alright, people, get to your muster stations, and double time it! Go, go, go!" Grenda said, waving her other arm in a "forward" motion. The people dispersed, and Grenda turned to Mabel.

 

"I don't think we're in the same escape pod, are we?"

 

"No, we're not. You're at the opposite end of the ship."

 

Grenda nodded grimly, "I'm helping you guys first."

 

Mabel's mouth opened slightly.

 

"Grenda, you don't have to-"

 

"Well, I can't just leave you here to die!" Grenda said defiantly, leaning forward. Mabel's face wore an expression of shock, Grenda's, of anger. Grenda then leaned back, her expression softening to one of annoyance.

 

"Grenda..." Mabel said, softly. She reached out an arm to put on Grenda's exposed shoulder, but the ship rocked, swaying her.

 

"We have no time, girls! We need to leave!" Candy said. Grenda nodded, and they all turned and headed for The Promenade, which they reached moments later.

 

"Where's your escape pod?" Grenda asked, and Mabel replied, "It's Pod 7."

 

Grenda looked up at the wall, and saw the words POD 25 on the wall in Aurebesh.

 

"Candy, get to our pod!" Grenda shouted, before she turned and ran fore-ward, heading towards the bow of the ship. The ship rocked again when they reached Pod 13. After a moment's dash, they arrived at Pod 7, and Grenda quickly entered, putting Pacifica in a seat and pulling down the safety bar. Grenda turned, and Mabel was facing her.

 

"Thanks, Grenda."

 

"No problem. Fly safe," Grenda said, turning down the hall and running. Mabel leaned out and briefly followed her with her eyes, before she got back in the pod and sat next to Pacifica, pulling down her protective bar. All of a sudden, Wendy entered.

 

"Wendy?!" Mabel said in surprise, "This isn't your pod!"

 

"Does that really matter? As long as we get off the ship. Speaking of, we need to do that. We only have a few seconds left."

 

As she was saying this, Wendy walked across the pod, getting in the pilot's seat and sealing the door. After a moment's work, pressing unknown buttons, Wendy grabbed a T-Handle, pulled it out of the console, turned it, and shoved it back in. As soon as it hit the bottom again, the pod launched out, jetting away from the ship. They flew for a few seconds, before a massive shockwave rocked the pod. The lights went out, and the pod started spinning. Wendy fought to regain control, but she just couldn't; the power was momentarily out.

 

  
As the ship spun, Mabel looked out the massive viewport at the front of the pod, and she saw a sad sight as the ship spun; the  _Axolotl_ , reduced to, the first spin, a massive fireball, and the second spin, a smoldering, glowing hunk of metal for salvagers. By the third spin, it had been reduced to a charred husk.

 

Mabel thought about the last year aboard that ship. A sadness came over her, remembering everything that she had done there, knowing any sign of it was swept away, knowing that it was gone forever.

 

Mabel put a hand up to her mouth as her eyes welled tears, ready to fall at a moment's notice. Wendy was still fighting to get the pod under control, and Mabel looked away from her, towards Pacifica; her only comfort in this moment of tragedy.

 

Except Pacifica wasn't much comfort; she was still limp and comatose. Mabel couldn't shake the feeling it was her fault; after all, she was the one who had left Pacifica on the bridge. Not being able to stop herself, Mabel started sobbing, not bothering to do anything with her hands, leaving them at her sides. She leaned forward, as if to fall into her hands, but she couldn't, even if her hands had been there; the safety bar prevented that.

 

Wendy looked over her shoulder and saw Mabel crying; turning the revolving seat, she undid her safety belt, walked over, fell to her knees beside Mabel's seat, and hugged her as best she could. Mabel's head hit her left shoulder, the tears streaming out onto her shirt; Wendy didn't care. Mabel cried, broken and hurt, possibly beyond repair.

 

* * *

 

"Soos, get up to the cargo bay and use the tractor beam to guide in those escape pods."

 

  
"You got it, Mr. Pines!" Soos said, getting up and leaving the bridge of the  _Glass Shard_. He walked through the quarter area, up to the ladder on the starboard side, climbing it into the cargo bay. It was empty, save for one durasteel chest that had always been there, and the massive wing doors were open. Going to the console in the middle of the room, he flipped a switch, activating a screen. He grabbed the joystick in the middle of the console, and targeted one of the escape pods. Pressing the button on top of the joystick, the tractor beam activated, catching the pod in its grasp. Soos carefully brought the pod towards the ship, slipping it into the bay without incident.

 

26 times he repeated this, pulling in pod after pod, and chucking them back out into space as soon as they came. 15 pods in or so, Soos was reunited with his friends; Mabel and Wendy were the last ones out of their pod, and they asked for help getting Pacifica. Soos immediately agreed, and, moments later, Pacifica was spread out on Mabel's bunk, still unconscious. Mabel sat on Lee's bunk, Wendy standing to her right, facing away from the bridge, her arms crossed. Mabel's face was in her hands; she just couldn't handle it.

 

Not anymore. She needed a break.

 

Not hesitating a moment, without asking, Mabel tumbled across the aisle into Ford's bunk, where she curled up and went to sleep.

 

Before she drifted off, she felt the ship slip into hyperspace.

 

* * *

 

 

Ashes. She was standing on ashes. She was walking, though she had no idea where. She only looked down; she daren't look up, even though that was the only way she'd get anywhere.

 

Suddenly, she stopped, and she looked up, and there he was; he was different, though; distorted, as though he were an exaggerated version of himself. He was much taller, and most of his clothes had been torn away, leaving only the pants. His eyes weren't a mix of yellow and brown, like they normally were, but they instead pitch black, with red pupils. His hair was long, and flew in the wind. He held his lightsaber in his right hand.

 

Reaching down to her left, she pulled her lightsaber off her belt and ignited it, its green blade shooting up. She leapt at him, the saber raised above her head, but, as soon as her strike came down, he vanished.

 

Or rather, that was when she noticed he had vanished. She landed, and, bewildered, she looked around for him, finding him at a 180 from his previous position. She turned, and tried a different tactic; she ran at him, the lightsaber out straight in front of her. He smiled, and, as soon as it should've hit him, he vanished again. She let out a growl in anger before being knocked down to her hands and knees, and then pushed flat on the ground. She felt him sit on her back, straddling her, and she turned her head left so she could see him out of the corner of her eye.

 

  
"You're not safe,  _Mabel_."

 

When he said her name, it was cutting, almost as if a knife had been slashed quickly across some part of her body. She grunted in pain, closing her eyes.

 

  
"You'll never be safe. You can't save them, either,  _Mabel_. You'll only lose every time you try. What's the point? Give up."

 

She tried her best to look in front of her, and saw her friends and family, all melting way, like hot wax, save for one; the platinum blonde one was slowly turning to dust, and she was not in agony, like the others.

 

  
"End it,  _Mabel_. There's no point, so why try? Join me instead, and maybe I can find a place for them. You know it's the only way,  _Mabel_."

 

She grunted, turning her head back with effort.

 

"I'll never join you."

 

He smirked.

 

"Fine, then," He stood up and walked back a few steps, but she still couldn't move, "Burn."

 

He held out his hand and snapped his fingers, and she suddenly felt pain everywhere; a pain like which she had never felt before. She started screaming in agony, wanting to be free, but all she heard was his cackle.

 

As the dream faded to black, Mabel could still hear him laughing, though it slowly faded out, and she heard one last whisper in her ear...

 

"Mdse gtdtodt ju ptxn, mie gwiejwei rwsn qnwz iynu dja, Pines."

 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Star Falls: Explosive Conflict, Chapter 9  
> Work Code: THB0020.9  
> Primary Author: TheHylianBatman  
> Additional Author(s): N/A  
> Proofreader: TheHylianBatman  
> Written on: Thursday, October 15th, 2015  
> Updated: N/A  
> Version: 1.0


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the official Tumblr:

 

 

 

  
Mabel walked down the gangplank of the  _Glass Shard_  onto the sandy terrain of Tatooine. Before her stood nothing; a barren, empty, tan wasteland. She reached the end of the gangplank, stepping off it and sitting in the sand, legs criss-crossed. A look of turmoil crossed her face, and she looked prepared to cry, but she didn't; she simply sat, stewing in her emotions.

 

She had lost everything.

 

She heard someone coming down the gangplank, but she didn't bother to look and see who it was; she simply continued staring off into the distance, the same look on her face.

 

"It's very hot here," Pacifica said, and Mabel turned with a gasp, the look of turmoil and pain replaced with one of surprise.

 

"Pacifica!" Mabel said, strained, as she got up and ran up the gangplank, colliding with Pacifica halfway up and very nearly knocking them both over. She engulfed Pacifica in a bear hug, which Pacifica initially reeled from, though reciprocated a moment later. Mabel closed her eyes, begging the tears welling up not to fall down, though she was beginning to falter.

 

"I missed you," Mabel said, and Pacifica smiled, though Mabel didn't see.

 

"I missed you, too, Mabes," Pacifica said, tightening the hug. They stood like that, simply embracing for a while, feeling the warmth from each other, before Pacifica broke the silence with a question.

 

"What are we even doing here?"

 

Mabel laughed. She laughed a deep, hearty, joyful laugh; one the likes of which Pacifica had never heard from her. Her laughs suddenly turned to sobs, and Mabel leaned more into Pacifica, who tried, but ultimately failed to support her, eventually just choosing to guide her fall, as Mabel went to her knees, Pacifica going right with her. Pacifica and Mabel stared at each other, a few inches separating them. Pacifica raised her left hand to Mabel's cheek as the tears kept coming, and Mabel put her right hand over it as she started attempting to speak, thought the words didn't come out right away.

 

  
"I... I could've," she sniffled deeply, "Lost you. I thought... I thought you were gonna...  _die_ , Pacifica, and I just, I just couldn't take it," Mabel fell forward into Pacifica's shoulder, where Pacifica held her.

 

"I'm sorry," Mabel whispered, "I'm so sorry, Pacifica," the tears started pouring out from her now, and Pacifica patted Mabel's back. They sat in silence before Pacifica turned, so her mouth was pointed directly at Mabel's ear.

 

"You're never gonna lose me. I'll always be here for you, and I know you're the same. It's alright, Mabel. Breathe. Everything's alright, I'm here," Pacifica whispered, petting Mabel slowly.

 

Mabel sobbed, unable to speak.

 

* * *

 

  
A uniformed clone walked up to Darth Cipher, standing on the bridge of the  _Defender_ , watching the fleet return from Thyferra's surface. The battle had been quick and easy.

 

"Sir, there's a private communique for you."

 

Cipher contemplated a second before responding.

 

"I'll take it in my office."

 

He then turned and left the bridge, taking a turbolift down to the deck with his quarters. He sat at the desk and activated the hologram. There, the visage of "Gleeful" Gideon Mamba appeared.

 

"Ah, Gideon. What do you require?"

 

"Lord Cipher, ah have splendid news. The Mystery Fleet that has been disturbin' you is no more!"

 

Cipher stiffened and leaned forward.

 

"Do tell."

 

  
A story later, Gideon was finishing up, "...but... we didn't destroy  _all_  of them."

 

Cipher banged his hands on the desk,

 

  
" **What?!** "

 

"Lord Cipher, please, ah just need the smallest amount of assistance."

 

Cipher leaned back in his chair, reaching a hand up to his face to cradle it.

 

"What do you need?"

 

"Ah need to track 'em down. Ah'm relatively sure they went to Tatooine, but ah need men to search."

 

"Your own goons aren't good enough?"

 

Gideon scowled.

 

"My men are rats. They have no idea how to work together. I need an army."

 

Cipher sighed.

 

"You'll have them. The entire reserve fleet is at your disposal.

 

"Oh, thank ya, thank ya-"

 

  
"But know this,  _snake_ ," Cipher leaned forward, "This  _help_  comes with a price."

 

Gideon contemplated a second before answering, "What's your price?"

 

"My demands are very simple. You can do whatever you want with any of them, I don't care, but... I want the girl."

 

"Mabelline? Ha, oh, she'll be easy. She's yours, Lord Cipher."

 

Cipher smirked.

 

"Very good. Good luck, Gideon."

 

"And to you, my Lord."

 

The hologram shimmered away as Cipher put his hands on the desk, making a pyramid with his hands.

 

"Perfect," he mused.

 

**THE END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Star Falls: Explosive Conflict, Chapter 10  
> Work Code: THB0020.10  
> Primary Author: TheHylianBatman  
> Additional Author(s): N/A  
> Proofreader: TheHylianBatman  
> Written on: Saturday, October 17th, 2015  
> Updated: N/A  
> Version: 1.0

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Star Falls: Explosive Conflict  
> Work Code: THB0020  
> Primary Author: TheHylianBatman  
> Additional Author(s): N/A  
> Proofreader: TheHylianBatman  
> Written on: Tuesday, September 29th - Saturday, October 17th, 2015  
> Updated: N/A  
> Version: 1.0


End file.
